At present in the glass making industry, the mounting of refractory blocks necessary for the mounting of certain types of ancillary equipment, such as heating electrodes, has to be carried out at a cold repair. This requires taking the furnace off line and in order to effect the mounting removing the glass from the furnace at least in the vicinity of the work area. The refractory blocks can then be mounted from within the furnace.
This type of operation involves men climbing around within the furnace and working therein and there is a high probability that damage to the refractory tiles/blocks in the vicinity of the work may result, necessitating the replacement of the tiles/blocks surrounding the work area in addition to those being replaced to effect the mounting of the refractory blocks as desired.
With the conventional methods used for the mounting of ancillary equipment broadly outlined above there are distinct disadvantages, amongst which are: the costs of the refractory blocks and tiles which are intended to be replaced and of those which may require replacement as a result of damage during the procedure; and
the loss of revenue whilst the plant is shut down, including furnace drain time, cool down time, repair replacement time and start-up time.
The present invention is concerned with providing a method of mounting ancillary equipment into the furnace and reducing, if not overcoming, the above mentioned problems.